NHBR About Town: Irving Oil
Representatives from Irving Oil join Special Olympics New Hampshire athletes and their parents at the UNH men's hockey game on February 10. Irving donated tickets to the game to Special Olympics.
Author: NH Business Review Staff
Q&A with Former state securities chief Mark Connolly
Mark Connolly, former director of the New Hampshire Bureau of Securities Regulation, resigned in January 2011, saying that aspects of the multimillion-dollar Financial Resources Mortgage Ponzi scheme scandal were covered up. He has since gone on to write "Cover-Up: One…
NHBR About Town: Hampshire First Bank
Attorney Eleanor Dahar, a board member of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation, presents Jim Dunphy, president of Hampshire First Bank, with the IOLTA Leadership Bank Award. The IOLTA program -- or the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account -- provides critical…
Good companies learn quickly to increase their efficiency and cut expenses
No business owner wants to deal with an economic downturn, but I've found the process to be cleansing because it can force a business to become more efficient or fail.With declining revenues, companies instinctively turn toward the expense side to…
Sharing your knowledge, increasing your value
Advertising legend David Ogilvy provided a great example of how generously giving away some of your industry knowledge and expertise can lead to increased paid business opportunities.Beginning in the late 1960s, Ogilvy launched a series of "house" ads giving detailed…
Make hiring more affordable — and create jobs
It was a reception where most people wore suits or dresses. I found myself chatting with an affable gentleman wearing a golf shirt and slacks. He didn't seem to feel underdressed.As we sipped our wine and sampled hors d'oeuvres, he…
Will the enemy of the good defeat CACR 12?
The New Hampshire Senate recently passed and sent to the House yet another proposed constitutional amendment designed to specify our Legislature's authority and responsibility regarding state aid to local education, including the ability to use "targeted" aid as the basic…
HB 1642 is about economic development
I'd like to clarify some facts about House Bill 1642. Let's be clear: The goal of HB 1642 is to make the business climate here in New Hampshire more attractive for destination specialty hospitals and clinics. Locating these centers in…
N.H. loses bid to stall Isaacson sale
A federal bankruptcy court judge Thursday denied the state of New Hampshire's objection to the sale of Isaacson Structural Steel Inc. to several auctioneers, dismissing the state's hope that one of the low bidders might put together an offer to…
A look at the regulatory process large-scale wind projects must undergo to win state approval
When the topic of wind-powered energy is mentioned to most New Englanders, it's likely that their thoughts quickly turn to the controversial Cape Wind project in Massachusetts.This project, proposed for Nantucket Sound off the shores of Cape Cod, has obtained…
Startup Challenge seeks competitors
Startups in New Hampshire that could use a leg up to get their business off the ground are encouraged to get in the running for the state's largest business plan competition, which offers the winning idea $35,000 in cash and…
Exec council OKs another extension for unfinished HHS computer system
ACS State Health Care's five-year delay in putting in place a new Medicaid contract has earned it another $9 million in work.The New Hampshire Executive Council on Wednesday voted 3-2 to extend implementation of the contract for another 15 months…
Foss plans to add 40-45 jobs in Hampton
Foss Manufacturing, the Hampton-based manufacturer that emerged from bankruptcy in 2006, plans to add another 40 to 45 workers with the help of a $1.6 million refinancing deal using federal money via the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority and the…
Attorney corrects Isaacson jobs claim; DES objects to sale
Isaacson Structural Steel Inc., the Berlin-based construction and supply company that was auctioned off last week for $2.4 million to several auctioneers, has a slight correction to make when asking for bankruptcy court approval.On March 1, the estate's attorney, William…
House readies vote on health exchange
A bill prohibiting state officials from planning for a state health exchange is one of the major measures affecting business that is due to come before the House this week.The bill is expected to be voted on either Wednesday or…
Bottomline buys Intuit commercial unit
Bottomline Technologies is buying the commercial banking business of financial software giant Intuit Inc. - the company that makes Quicken and Turbo Tax -- the Portsmouth company disclosed Monday.The sale price is $20 million.Bottomline provides financial software of its own,…
Bankruptcies down, two N.H. businesses file in Feb.
Despite the extra day in February this leap year, some 350 New Hampshire households and businesses filed for bankruptcy last month, which was 54 (or 13.3 percent) fewer than in February 2011 and 156 (or 30 percent) fewer than in…
Companies agree to buy Isaacson; fate of jobs unclear
A consortium of three companies that specialize in auctioning off commercial assets agreed to buy Isaacson Structural Steel at a bankruptcy auction for $2.4 million on Wednesday. Those three companies -- Counsel RB Capital LLC, of White Plains, N.Y., Ohio-based…
N.H. Lottery takes chance on New England-wide game
To increase revenues, the New Hampshire Lottery is teaming up with the lotteries of the five other New England states to launch a new game that gives players a chance to win $1,000 a day for their entire lives.The game…
ICAD finishes 2011 with $37m loss
ICAD lost another $2.2 million, or 4 cents per share in its final quarter of 2011, and while that's nearly a $700,000 improvement on the fourth quarter of the previous year, the Nashua medical imagining company will still finish 2011…
January future construction a mixed bag
The total value of future construction contracts in New Hampshire fell 37 percent in January from the same month the previous year, but activity actually rose in two construction sectors over that period.Future construction contracts totaled $82.4 million in the…
2008 Outstanding Women in Business Awards
The third annual Outstanding Women in Business, presented by New Hampshire Business Review and Laconia Savings Bank, salutes the winners of the 2008 Outstanding Women in Business Awards, celebrating the success and achievements of women in our state's business community.We…
Legislature seems ready to deregulate at least part of telecom industry
FairPoint Communications may soon get what it wants -- deregulation of its retail service. And Comcast may get what it wants -- the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission off its back.The vehicle to such regulatory freedom is Senate Bill 48,…
N.H. entrepreneur puts his faith in a Ghost
When entrepreneur Greg Sancoff takes his watercraft out for a test drive on the Piscataqua River, the 75-foot long vessel draws quizzical looks from people who see it. There are good reasons for the double-take stares. The sleekly angled, supercavitating…
Taking the business pulse of the Upper Valley
NHBR's editors met recently at the Courtyard by Marriott in Lebanon with businesspeople from around the Upper Valley to get their take on how the area's economy is faring and what their expectations are for the future.The participants were:Jake Blum,…
What employers need to know about the new federal fee and expense rules
Q. Our retirement plan financial adviser told us that new federal rules require him to provide us with information about our 401(k) plan investment fees and expenses. He also told us that we have to provide a new disclosure document…
Ambition is not a dirty word
There is a story about President Reagan in his final years, when he took a miniature White House out of a fish tank, and held it tightly. When his wife, Nancy, asked him what he had, he replied that he…
Solving problems with positive energy
Positive energy you create helps you move more easily through difficult and challenging times and will do the same for those you encounter. How you approach problems and opportunities will ultimately determine how your employees view the obstacles that are…
A non-user’s guide to understanding Twitter
There is an amazing online social network platform that illustrates the full spectrum of human intelligence, from brilliance to idiocy, and it's called Twitter.I'll focus on the brilliance side in this article. However, it's worth noting that the most inane…
What connects New York, Athens and you?
In the fall of 2008, just as Lehman Brothers closed its doors, we hosted a gathering of our clients. I led off the meeting in my broken Chinese with the saying, "May you live in interesting times." It seemed to…
HB 1692: a sure way to ‘mess up’ the university system
In his State of the State address, and at the reprise of it at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce's recent breakfast forum, four-term Gov. John Lynch highlighted the reputation of New Hampshire as the best state in which to…
The evolving world of privacy and data protection
Electronically stored data has become a key and increasingly critical economic commodity. Not surprisingly, the concentration of electronic information has produced a concomitant increase in the theft and misuse of data. To quote Willie Sutton, it's "where the money is."Most…
The challenge of complying with N.H. wage and hour laws
A recent review of New Hampshire Department of Labor wage claim decisions reveals the ongoing compliance struggles that employers doing business in New Hampshire are having.Ignorance of the lawMost employers do not intentionally try to circumvent state wage laws to…
After three years, all players fully realize that the real estate recovery is dependent on job creation
The last year was difficult for many. While the stock markets were up about 5 percent, it was a bumpy ride. Other markets, such as commercial real estate, were not so volatile. In fact, they continue to be somewhat lethargic.Now…
USDA and New Hampshire: good energy partners
In his State of the Union address in January, President Obama emphasized the importance of American innovation - especially in creating an American energy economy that is built to last.At USDA, we are working every day to fuel renewable energy…
DRA’s ‘reasonable comp’ rules miss the point
Small-business owners have often learned the hard way that not knowing the law is not an acceptable excuse for noncompliance. You are expected to follow the law and the associated rules and regulations, or you will suffer the consequences of…
Tax, spending caps would hurt N.H. economy
Though recent news has been positive, New Hampshire continues to face serious economic challenges 2 1/2 years into its recovery from the Great Recession. Employment has been rising over the past few months, but New Hampshire still needs to add…
Healthy environment, healthy economy
If you were to apply today to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services for an environmental permit, it's likely that it would be processed in a short period of time, and more quickly than if you applied for a…
House Republicans keeping their focus on jobs
Last year was one of extraordinary achievements for this Legislature. We committed to voters to live within our means and balance our budget without raising taxes and did an uncommon thing for elected officials, and in 2011 we kept our…
New Hampshire’s commercial development activity will continue to adjust to changing supply and demand forces in 2012
The 2012 forecast for New Hampshire commercial real estate expects continued improvement in demand for quality industrial, retail and multifamily properties, with demand for office properties remaining sluggish.The current commercial construction activity throughout the state is a sign that, yet…
2012 Outstanding Women in Business
Cathy Conway Vice President, Northern Community Investment Corp.Cathy Conway was pursuing an engineering degree at the University of New Hampshire when she met her husband, a dairy farmer from Jefferson. His occupation simplified her decision to move to the North…
Real estate sales rise in Jan. as prices fall
The first month of 2012 brought some mixed signs to New Hampshire's housing market, with January residential home sales beating out the prior January for the third year in a row, with the median price trending downward year over year.A…
Bank: Kingsbury property sale plan ‘pie in the sky’
An attorney for TD Bank objected Thursday to hiring a real estate agent to sell the land and building of the bankrupt Kingsbury Corp. in Keene, saying it was a "pie in the sky" approach that wouldn't fetch enough money…
N.H. reportedly courts another N.Y. company
Barely a year after the state of New Hampshire lured Albany International Corp. -- a major manufacturing employer in the Albany, N.Y., area -- to move its headquarters and most of its jobs to Rochester, N.H., Granite State economic development…
Ruger reports strong 2011 gains
Sturm, Ruger & Co. blew through the recession like a speeding bullet. The Connecticut-based company with a major manufacturing presence in New Hampshire, reported that it sold $328.8 million in guns and castings in 2011 -- more than twice the…
Senate panel seems skeptical about e-wages
Will employers be able to force their workers to accept their wages in the form of an electronic payment, or at the very least, a debit card?And will employers be able to switch to paying employees without getting permission from…
Centrix finishes year on a strong note
Centrix Bank finished the year with a quarterly net income of $1.5 million, or 49 cents a diluted share -- 60 percent more than the same quarter the previous year -- the company announced last week.That brings the Bedford-based bank's…
Stonyfield ‘boot camp’ set for April
Registration is now open for the 2012 edition of the Stonyfield Entrepreneurial Institute, a two-day "boot camp" for entrepreneurs that will feature sessions on finance, branding and social media marketing.Presented by the Carsey Institute and the Whittemore School of Business…
Nashua firm accuses giant lens company of software piracy
A small software company in Nashua is suing the largest optical lens manufacturer in the country, saying that the international giant ripped it off to the tune of $13.1 million.In a complaint filed Feb. 17 in U.S. District Court in…
VF Corp. profits from Timberland acquisition
VF Corp.'s acquisition of Timberland last September paid off big in the fourth quarter, according to the North Carolina-based apparel company's earnings report.The Stratham-based footwear and apparel subsidiary provided some $549 million to VF's $2.9 billion revenue for the quarter,…
More news from NHBR:
The real ROI of AI
Over 20 years of working with New Hampshire business owners, I’ve noticed something consistent: The businesses that thrive aren’t the ones chasing every new trend. They’re the ones who know how to evaluate whether a new tool or strategy actually serves their goals.
The NH economy is ‘stable, moderating’ — if you can believe ChatGPT
Where does AI end and your ‘secret sauce’ begin?
NH company shines light on UV therapy for autoimmune conditions
Started in 2021, Cytokind describes itself as 'the global leader in using UVB light to treat immune disorders and improve survival and the quality of life for patients'
CairnSurgical aims to make breast cancer surgery more precise
Lebanon company’s technology helps surgeons pinpoint size, shape of tumors
NH startup incorporates AI in ski race video technology
Hannes Schneider is regarded as the father of the alpine skiing technique known as the Arlberg method, a skill he brought to North Conway and the Mount Washington Valley in 1936.
ARMI board says it plans to review Kamen’s ties to Epstein
The board of directors for ARMI, the government-funded Manchester research project led by inventor Dean Kamen, is meeting to discuss its next steps in the wake of newly released documents showing Kamen’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Guardrails, not barriers
NH Tech Alliance task force maps AI in New Hampshire
Cairn Surgical completes enrollment in U.S. trial of novel breast cancer locator system
Cairn Surgical, Inc., a medical technology firm based in Lebanon, NH, announced earlier this month that patient enrollment has been completed in the U.S. pivotal trial of its Breast Cancer Locator (BCLTM) System.
Ask the Experts: Protect your business with a robust cyber plan
Cyberattacks now threaten organizations of every size and industry. Preventive security measures remain the strongest defense, but even the most sophisticated safeguards cannot guarantee immunity. Our panelist looks at what your organization should do if it’s been the victim of a cybersecurity breach.
